Method of preparing a beverage using a beverage preparation system

ABSTRACT

A weigh scale unit may be used in conjunction with a beverage preparation machine to prepare beverages efficiently. The weigh scale unit may provide the status of ingredient addition to a beverage receptacle. The weigh scale unit may send instructions and/or data to the beverage preparation machine. In some embodiments, the beverage preparation machine sends instructions and/or data to the weigh scale unit.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/592,767, filed May 11, 2017, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,582,801, whichclaims priority to provisional U.S. Application No. 62/335,041, filedMay 11, 2016, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in theirentirety.

DISCUSSION OF RELATED ART

Various beverage preparation machines prepare different types ofbeverages. For example, combination blender and ice handling machinesare often used to prepare “frozen” beverages. Coffee brewers pass hotwater through coffee grounds. Other machines mix flavored syrups withwater and other ingredients to create various beverages. Weigh scalesare used in some instances to help a user with adding suitable amountsof ingredients in accordance with selected recipes.

SUMMARY OF EXAMPLES OF NON-LIMITING EMBODIMENTS

According to one embodiment, a beverage preparation system includes aweigh scale configured to weigh a beverage receptacle and ingredientswithin the beverage receptacle, a user input interface, a controllerconfigured to receive weight data from the weigh scale, and a display.The system also includes a beverage preparation machine. The display isconfigured to display a status of ingredient additions to the beveragereceptacle based on the weight data. The user input interface isconfigured to receive a selection of one or more beverage parametersfrom a user. The controller is configured to execute a first recipedisplay sequence on the display from among a plurality of recipe displaysequences based on the selected beverage parameters. The controller isconfigured to communicate a first instruction for a first beveragepreparation procedure to the beverage preparation machine from among aplurality of instructions for a plurality of possible beveragepreparation procedures.

According to another embodiment, a method of preparing a beverage usinga beverage receptacle, a weigh scale unit, and a beverage preparationmachine is disclosed. The method includes placing the beveragereceptacle on a weigh scale of the weigh scale unit, inputting one ormore beverage parameters to a controller of the weigh scale unit, andadding a first ingredient to the beverage receptacle until a display ofthe weigh scale unit indicates that a sufficient amount of the firstingredient has been added. The method also includes adding a secondingredient to the beverage receptacle until the display of the weighscale unit indicates that a sufficient amount of the second ingredienthas been added. An act of removing the beverage receptacle from theweigh scale and placing the beverage preparation machine at a beveragereceptacle-sensing position in the beverage preparation machine isincluded. No further input from the user is required to initiate a firstbeverage preparation procedure by the beverage preparation machine fromamong a plurality of beverage preparation procedures.

According to a further embodiment, a method of facilitating preparationof a beverage is disclosed. The method includes receiving a beveragereceptacle on a weigh scale, receiving user input indicating a type ofbeverage to be prepared, indicating to a user a first ingredient type tobe added to the beverage receptacle, and indicating to the user that asufficient amount of the first ingredient has been added to the beveragereceptacle. The method further includes indicating to a user a secondingredient type to be added to the beverage receptacle, indicating tothe user that a sufficient amount of the second ingredient has beenadded to the beverage receptacle, and communicating which beveragepreparation procedure to initiate from among a plurality of possiblebeverage preparation procedures.

According to yet another embodiment, a beverage preparation systemincludes a weigh scale unit and a beverage preparation machine. Theweigh scale unit includes a weigh scale to weigh a beverage receptacleand ingredients within the beverage receptacle, a user input interfaceto receive a beverage parameter from a user, and a controller configuredto receive weight data from the weigh scale. The weigh scale unit alsoincludes a display configured to display a status of ingredientadditions to the beverage receptacle based on the weight data, whereinthe controller is configured to execute a first recipe display sequenceon the display from among a plurality of recipe display sequences basedon the selected beverage parameters. The beverage preparation machine isphysically separate from the weigh scale unit, the beverage preparationmachine being configured to receive the beverage receptacle. The weighscale unit and the beverage preparation machine are in communicationsuch that the weigh scale unit is able to send signals to the beveragepreparation machine and/or the beverage preparation machine is able tosend signals to the weigh scale unit.

According to a further embodiment, an apparatus for facilitatingpreparation of a beverage includes a weigh scale configured to weigh abeverage receptacle and ingredients within the beverage receptacle, auser input interface configured to receive a beverage parameter from auser, a controller configured to receive weight data from the weighscale, and a display configured to display a status of ingredientadditions to the beverage receptacle based on the weight data. Thecontroller is configured to execute a first recipe display sequence onthe display from among a plurality of recipe display sequences based onthe selected beverage parameters. The controller is configured to send afirst instruction for a first beverage preparation procedure to abeverage preparation machine from among a plurality of instructions fora plurality of possible beverage preparation procedures, the firstinstruction being based on the received beverage parameter.

According to yet another embodiment, a beverage preparation systemincludes a memory configured to store at least one recipe, wherein therecipe includes an ingredient addition step and a beverage preparationstep. A weigh scale is provided that is configured to weigh a beveragereceptacle and generate weight data, which is received by a controller.The system also includes a display, which can be a touchscreen display,that is configured to display the ingredient addition step and areal-time visual representation of an amount of ingredient that is addedto the beverage receptacle. The system further includes a beveragepreparation machine configured to perform the beverage preparation step,wherein the weigh scale and the beverage preparation machine are incommunication such that the weigh scale is able to send signals to thebeverage preparation machine and/or the beverage preparation machine isable to send signals to the weigh scale.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings are not intended to be drawn to scale. In thedrawings, each identical or nearly identical component that isillustrated in various figures is represented by a like numeral. Forpurposes of clarity, not every component may be labeled in everydrawing. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 shows a beverage preparation system including a beveragepreparation machine and a weigh scale unit according to one embodiment;

FIG. 2 shows the beverage preparation system of FIG. 1 with a beveragereceptacle placed in the beverage preparation machine according to oneembodiment;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a method of preparing a beverage through use ofa weigh scale unit and a beverage preparation machine;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a method for a user to prepare a beverage usinga weigh scale and a beverage preparation machine;

FIG. 5 shows a display on a weigh scale unit according to oneembodiment;

FIG. 6 shows a display on a weigh scale unit according to oneembodiment;

FIG. 7 shows a display on a weigh scale unit according to oneembodiment;

FIG. 8 shows a display on a weigh scale unit according to oneembodiment;

FIG. 9 shows a display on a weigh scale unit according to oneembodiment;

FIG. 10 shows a display on a weigh scale unit according to oneembodiment;

FIG. 11 shows a display on a weigh scale unit according to oneembodiment;

FIG. 12 shows a display on a weigh scale unit according to oneembodiment;

FIG. 13 shows a display on a weigh scale unit according to oneembodiment;

FIG. 14 shows a display on a weigh scale unit according to oneembodiment;

FIG. 15 shows a display on a weigh scale unit according to oneembodiment;

FIG. 16 shows a display on a weigh scale unit according to oneembodiment;

FIG. 17 shows a display on a weigh scale unit according to oneembodiment;

FIG. 18 shows a display on a weigh scale unit according to oneembodiment;

FIG. 19 shows a display on a weigh scale unit according to oneembodiment;

FIG. 20 shows a display on a weigh scale unit according to oneembodiment;

FIG. 21 shows a display on a weigh scale unit according to oneembodiment;

FIG. 22 shows a display on a weigh scale unit according to oneembodiment;

FIG. 23 shows a display on a weigh scale unit according to oneembodiment;

FIG. 24 shows a display on a weigh scale where the display guides anoperator in adding a solid ingredient;

FIG. 25 illustrates an embodiment where the beverage preparation machineincludes a rinse station;

FIG. 26 illustrates an embodiment where the beverage preparation machineincludes a rinse station, and the weigh scale unit is integrated withthe beverage preparation machine;

FIG. 27 illustrates an embodiment where the weigh scale unit holds acontainer for a conventional blender assembly;

FIG. 28 illustrates a block diagram of the beverage preparation machine,the weigh scale, and certain components of the beverage preparationmachine and the weigh scale.

FIG. 29 shows a flowchart that illustrates how the system can manage anoverpour condition according to user instructions; and

FIGS. 30A and 30B illustrate flowcharts for embodiments where a user cancreate or modify recipes on an electronic device and transmit thecreated/modified recipe to the beverage preparation system.

FIG. 31A shows an angled view of the beverage preparation machineaccording to one embodiment.

FIG. 31B shows another angled view of the beverage preparation machineaccording to one embodiment.

FIG. 31C shows a front view of the beverage preparation machineaccording to one embodiment.

FIG. 31D shows a side view of the beverage preparation machine accordingto one embodiment.

FIG. 31E shows a backside view of the beverage preparation machineaccording to one embodiment.

FIG. 31F shows a top-down view of the beverage preparation machineaccording to one embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

While weigh scales and various recipe display techniques facilitate theaddition of ingredients to a beverage, applicant has recognized thatstrategically providing instructions and/or information from the weighscale unit to an associated beverage preparation machine and/orreceiving information and/or instructions from the beverage preparationmachine can improve the beverage preparation process in several ways.

According to some embodiments disclosed herein, a weigh scale is used tomeasure the amounts of one or more ingredients as they are added to acontainer. The presence, and in some cases, the amount of a certainingredient, is communicated to the beverage preparation machine suchthat the machine can start certain processes prior to all of theingredients being added to the container. For example, when an operatorselects a frozen beverage recipe, and a threshold amount of aningredient is added to the container, as measured by the weigh scale,the machine may be instructed to begin shaving ice. By doing so, thetotal time required to produce the beverage may be reduced. If an amountof ingredient is added which is more than called for by the recipe, themachine may shave additional ice when receiving a signal from the weighscale unit or another controller associated with the weigh scale unit.

According to another embodiment, the beverage preparation machine mayprovide information to the weigh scale unit and/or a controllerassociated with the weigh scale unit. For example, a milkshake machinemay include a blender, a flavoring-dispensing device, and asweetener-dispensing device. If the supply of a certain flavoring isrunning low, the beverage machine may signal a weigh scale unitcontroller to display to the operator that only a limited size ofmilkshake can be prepared. The display may be adjusted by the controllerto show scaled-down amounts of ingredients to add such that the properratios of ingredients are still possible with the limited amount offlavoring. Or, the display may signal to the operator that a certainbeverage cannot be prepared until more supplies are added to themachine.

The weigh scale unit may instruct the beverage preparation machine tostart a beverage preparation procedure once the presence of a beveragecontainer is sensed in the beverage preparation machine. In some cases,the weigh scale unit may prescribe a certain procedure to the beveragepreparation machine from among a number of available procedures based onbeverage parameters input by the user. In this manner, a user is notrequired to press any buttons or other control device on the beveragepreparation machine. In some cases, the user does not have to select abeverage preparation procedure at all; selection of a beverage recipeand/or beverage parameters may result in the weigh scale unit sending aninstruction to the beverage preparation machine as to which procedure touse. For example, after selecting a certain frozen beverage recipe onthe weigh scale unit and adding the appropriate ingredients, a user maysimply move the container from the weigh scale to the beveragepreparation machine, and the beverage preparation machine may beginoperations automatically. In other embodiments, a display on the weighscale may instruct the user as to which button, or other control device,should be activated on the beverage forming machine.

For purposes herein, an instruction or signal that is at based at leastin part on a beverage parameter is considered to be based on thebeverage parameter.

In some embodiments, a display is provided on the same unit as the weighscale, and, based on information provided by the beverage preparationmachine regarding the machine's supply levels or operationalcapabilities, the display may show a subset of available recipes fromwhich to choose.

The inventive concepts described herein can be implemented in any ofnumerous ways, and are not limited to any particular implementationtechniques. Thus, while examples of specific implementation techniquesare described below, it should be appreciated that the examples areprovided merely for purposes of illustration, and that otherimplementations are possible.

Turning to the figures, FIG. 1 shows a beverage preparation system 1according to one embodiment. The beverage preparation system 1 includesa beverage preparation machine 10 and a weigh scale unit 12. A beveragereceptacle 14 is shown on weigh scale unit 12, and in the illustratedembodiment the receptacle is shown as a blender jar. Other suitablereceptacles may be used, such as a cup, a single serve blender jar, orany other suitable beverage receptacle. The beverage receptacle may beconfigured such that someone can drink directly from the beveragereceptacle, or the beverage receptacle may be a container which isdesigned to be used to pour beverages into separate serving containers.

Weigh scale unit 12 may include a display 16 to facilitate beveragepreparation, as discussed herein. Alternatively, the display can befixed to the beverage preparation machine or separate from both theweigh scale and the beverage preparation machine. The display maycommunicate with the weigh scale and the beverage preparation unit viawired or wireless connections. The display may be a touch-sensitivescreen that can also be used as a user input interface. In someembodiments, a touch-sensitive screen which is separate from display 16may be used, or some other suitable user input interface may be used,such as an arrangement of physical buttons and/or switches, or akeyboard, for example.

Beverage preparation machine 10 may include a display 18, which, likethe display of weigh scale unit 12, also may function as an inputdevice. In some embodiments, one or both of displays 16 and 18 may beLED lights associated with printed symbols or text on the respectiveunits or an LCD, OLED, or other display type. In some embodiments one orboth of the displays may be screens configured to show various graphicsand text. The beverage preparation machine 10 or weigh scale 12 may alsoinclude or be connected to a speaker for communicating audibleinformation to a user.

Beverage preparation machine 10 includes a beverage receptacle supportregion 20, and may include a sensor to detect the presence or absence ofa beverage receptacle in the machine. For example, a load cell may sensethe weight of a beverage receptacle, an optical sensor may be used tosense the presence of a receptacle, a physical switch may be positionedto be triggered when a beverage receptacle is placed in the machine, orany other suitable sensor may be used. Beverage receptacle 14 is shownin beverage preparation machine 10 in FIG. 2. In some embodiments, byproviding a sensor on the beverage preparation machine, the receptaclereceiving area of the beverage preparation machine forms an area wherethe beverage receptacle can be placed in a beverage receptacle sensingposition. The beverage preparation system may also include a controllerand/or memory such as random access memory or storage such as a solidstate drive for storing recipes and/or control software for executingvarious functions. Alternatively, the memory or storage for storingrecipes can be located remotely, such as in a remote server, USB drive,smart phone or other device having a storage medium, and the weightscale or the beverage preparation device can download the recipes fromthe remote location. The beverage preparation system can have one ormore communication ports or wireless communication capabilities, such asWi-Fi, 3G, LTE, Bluetooth, millimeter waves, or NFC, in order tocommunicate with a remote storage, as well as with the weigh scale.

Beverage preparation machine 10 may include an ice hopper and storagefor various ingredients such as flavorings, sweeteners, powder, water,and/or other ingredients or items to be added to a beverage.Alternatively, the ice hopper and/or storage can be located separatelyfrom the beverage preparation machine and weigh scale. Sensors, such asa weight sensor, can be included that measure an amount of flavoring,sweetener, powder, water, or other ingredients, so that this informationcan be communicated to the beverage preparation machine or weigh scale.A controller, for example, in the beverage preparation machine or weighscale, may be provided to receive information from the internal sensorand communicating this information to the beverage preparation machineand/or the weigh scale. Beverage preparation machine 10 may include ablender, a water heater, an ice shaver, an ice cube dispenser, and icecube chute, a powder dispenser, a shaker, and/or any other suitablemechanical systems for preparing a beverage. For example, the beveragepreparation machine can include a TAYLOR MAGNABLEND OR ISLAND OASISSB2100, SB2150, DD2100, DD2150 shaver blender unit. Alternatively, thesecomponents can be provided separately, in which case they are preferablycontrolled by a common controller in beverage preparation machine.

The beverage preparation system, preferably the beverage preparationmachine 10, may include a refrigerated enclosure that stores chilledingredients in order to facilitate preparation of chilled beverages. Thesystem may also include a freezer enclosure to make or store ice orother frozen ingredients in order to facilitate preparation of chilledbeverages. However, the system also can be implemented without a freezerenclosure or ice hopper, in which case a user would manually add ice tothe prepared beverage. The ice can be an ingredient from the selectedrecipe and displayed on the weigh scale for the user to add to thereceptacle placed on the weigh scale.

The beverage preparation system may also include a door 11 as shown inFIG. 25, for example, that encloses the beverage receptacle supportregion 20 when the receptacle 14 is placed on the beverage supportregion. Additionally, the beverage preparation machine 10 may includesound insulation, such as insulating foam along at least a portion ofits interior, or even on the inside surface of the door, in order toreduce an amount of noise generated by the beverage preparation machine10.

Weigh scale unit 12 includes a weigh scale 22 to weigh the amounts ofingredients added to a beverage receptacle. As an ingredient is added tothe receptacle, weigh scale 22 may provide weight data to a controllerthat controls display 16 to show the status of the amount of ingredientadded. In some embodiments, the amount of ingredient added is shownrelative to a desired amount of the ingredient. In this manner, a usercan track the progress of how much of an ingredient has been added, andthe process of adding the correct amounts of various ingredients can besimplified. The weigh scale unit 12 may also include or be associatedwith a speaker for communicating audible information to a user.

By weighing each ingredient as it is added directly to the beveragereceptacle, the use of measuring cups or other specialty measuringequipment may be reduced or eliminated. Additionally, by providinginteractive recipes on the display, a user does not necessarily need torefer to a manual, book, poster, or other printed materials. As such,the user does not have to search for recipes, and recipes can be updatedmore easily. For example, updated or additional recipes may bedownloaded periodically via a computer network, or, in some embodiments,each time a recipe is selected, the recipe may be retrieved from adatabase via a computer network or the Internet.

According to some embodiments disclosed herein, weigh scale unit 12sends one or more instructions to beverage preparation machine 10, whichfacilitates the preparation of beverages. Weigh scale unit 12 may beconnected to beverage preparation machine 10 via a cable 24 whichprovides a data link, such as a USB connection, between the weigh scaleunit 12 and the beverage preparation machine 10. Alternatively, theweigh scale unit 12 and beverage preparation machine 10 can be connectedwirelessly via Wi-Fi, 3G, LTE, Bluetooth, millimeter waves, NFC, oranother suitable wireless standard. The cable 24 can also provide apower link in addition to or in place of the data link.

The weigh scale unit 12 and/or the beverage preparation machine 10 mayinclude wired or wireless communication circuitry for communicating viaa wireless protocol such as Wi-Fi, 3G, LTE, Bluetooth, millimeter waves,NFC, or other wireless communication protocols for communicating outsidethe system. The weigh scale unit 12 may also include a memory such asrandom access memory or storage such as a solid state drive for storingrecipes and/or control software for executing various functions.

The weigh scale may measure weight or mass and be considered a weighscale.

Similarly, beverage preparation machine 10 may send data and/orinstructions to weigh scale unit 12 in some embodiments. By having thebeverage preparation machine 10 and weigh scale unit 12 communicate witheach other, various efficiencies and other benefits can be achieved. Inthe embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the beverage preparationmachine is physically separate from the weigh scale unit, though in someembodiments, the beverage preparation machine and weigh scale unit maybe part of the same physical device.

FIG. 3 shows one method 100 of facilitating beverage production throughuse of a weigh scale unit and a beverage preparation machine. In an act102, a beverage receptacle is received on the scale. The weigh scaleunit receives a user input indicating a type of beverage in an act 104.The indication may indicate a specific type of beverage, and includeboth a general type of beverage (e.g., smoothie, milkshake, or coffee)and a specific flavor (e.g., strawberry). Or, in some embodiments, aninitial input may be only a general type of beverage, and the selectionmay lead to a menu of different flavor options from which the userselects. These selections may be received by a weigh scale unitcontroller.

In an act 106, the weigh scale unit indicates an ingredient type to beadded to the beverage receptacle. This indication may be in the form ofa visual display. For example, a display screen may show the word“yogurt” and/or a graphical symbol representing yogurt. In someembodiments, the display may be an auditory display, such as spokenwords.

Once a sufficient amount of ingredient has been added to the beveragereceptacle based on the weigh scale's measurements of weight, the weighscale unit indicates that a sufficient amount of the ingredient has beenadded in an act 108. The controller checks whether an additionalingredient is required by the recipe in a decision 110, and if so,repeats acts 106, 108.

After all of the ingredients have been added in sufficient amounts, inan act 112 the weigh scale unit communicates which beverage preparationprocedure to initiate from among a plurality of possible beveragepreparation procedures. For example, the weigh scale unit may send aninstruction to the beverage preparation machine to use a specific blendcycle in conjunction with the addition of a certain amount of shavedice. For a different recipe, the weigh scale unit may send aninstruction to the beverage preparation machine to add cane sugar andwater to the beverage, and to use a different blend cycle. In someembodiments, instead of sending an instruction to the beveragepreparation machine, the weigh scale unit may display to the user that acertain button on the beverage preparation machine should be pressedafter moving the beverage receptacle to the beverage preparationmachine.

FIG. 4 shows a flowchart of a method 200 of preparing a beverage using aweigh scale unit and a beverage preparation machine. In an act 202, theuser places a beverage receptacle on a weigh scale. The user inputs oneor more beverage parameters in an act 204. While using a displayassociated with the weigh scale unit, the user adds an ingredient to thebeverage receptacle until receiving an indication that a sufficientamount of the ingredient has been added. The user uses the display tounderstand whether an additional ingredient needs to be added in adecision 208. If yes, act 206 is repeated. If no, the user removes thebeverage receptacle from the scale in an act 210 and places the beveragereceptacle in the beverage preparation machine. The user places thebeverage receptacle at a beverage receptacle sensing position in thebeverage preparation machine in an act 212 such that a first beveragepreparation procedure by the beverage preparation machine initiateswithout further input from the user. In this manner, the user does nothave to know or decide which button or other input control to activateon the beverage preparation machine.

Additionally, in some embodiments, the weigh scale unit and the beveragepreparation machine are in communication to carry out pre-processing bythe beverage preparation machine. For example, the weigh scale unit maysend instructions to the beverage preparation machine prior tocompletion of ingredient addition so that the beverage preparationmachine can start one or more pre-processing steps. Such pre-processingsteps can be based on stored recipes that instruct the shaver/blender toadjust the following: shave time (shave time produces more or lessshaved ice based on ingredient ratios, drink size, number of drinksbeing produced, etc.); blend time (blend times allow the user todetermine the consistency of the drink, longer blend times providessmoother drinks); addition of water (some recipes may call foradditional water to be added, in which the recipe in the scale instructsthe shaver/blender how much water should be added based on time—thelonger the valve is open, the more water is added); addition of otherliquid ingredients (some recipes may call for the addition of liquidsweeteners or flavors, in which the recipe in the scale instructs theshaver/blender to turn on a pump to dispense these liquidingredients—the longer the pump stays on, the more product isdispensed); and the heating of liquid to be added to the beverage. Therecipes can be programmed into the weigh scale/touch screen to promptthe shaver/blender to carry out the foregoing functions.

In some embodiments, a user may select a particular amount of time or anamount for the beverage preparation machine 10 to shave ice that isdispensed into the receptacle 14. For example, a user may select a lowamount of ice, a medium amount of ice, or a high amount of ice. Thebeverage preparation machine 10 may then operate an ice shaver for acorrespondingly low amount of time, a medium amount of time, or a highamount of time in order to produce one of three different amounts ofshaved ice into the receptacle. The user may select the particularamount of time for shaving ice by selecting a virtual button on thedisplay 16, or a virtual button on the display 18. The shaver blender ofthe beverage preparation machine 10 can be calibrated to ensure that theamounts of shaved ice dispensed is in accordance with the recipe.Instructions for calibrating the shaver blender can be run through thescale/display system. Items that can be calibrated are not limited toshaved ice, but also can include water amounts and liquid ingredientamounts (e.g., sweetener/flavorings), as some examples.

A shaved ice calibration routine can include the following stepsinvolving communication between the weigh scale and the beveragepreparation machine: (1) the blender cup is placed on the scale (tarescale); (2) the display instructs the user to place the blender cup inthe shaver/blender; (3) the scale/display unit instructs theshaver/blender to run a calibration cycle and dispense “X” amount ofice; (4) the display instructs the user to place the blender cup (filledwith shaved ice) back on the scale; (5) the scale determines if theweight of the shaved ice is correct; (6) if the weight is correct,calibration is complete; (7) if the weight is incorrect, thescale/display unit determines how much the shave time needs to beadjusted to achieve the proper amount of shaved ice and updates theshaver/blender accordingly. Once the adjustments are saved, the systemprompts the user to run another calibration cycle to verify that thechanges have obtained the desired result.

Referring to FIG. 5, the display 16 of the weigh scale unit 12 maypresent a menu of recipes from which an operator may select a desiredbeverage recipe. Once a recipe is selected, the display 16 providessequential instructions to the operator as to which ingredients to addto the beverage receptacle 14. As an ingredient is added, the display 16indicates a level of the product in the beverage receptacle 14, andinforms the operator when a sufficient amount of the ingredient has beenadded. The display 16 then informs the operator whether an additionalingredient should be added to the beverage receptacle. If one or moreadditional ingredients are required, the display 16 informs the operatoras to which ingredient to add, and again informs the operator when asufficient amount of the ingredient has been added. After all of theingredients have been added, the display 16 indicates to the operatorthat the recipe is complete.

As shown in FIG. 5, in some embodiments, the display 16 of the weighscale unit 12 may be configured to display several beverage recipes,each represented by an abbreviation of the specific recipe. Withreference to FIGS. 6-9, the user can select “VB” for a vanilla beanslush-type beverage, “SC” for a strawberry slush-type beverage, “OC” foran orange slush-type beverage, “CC” for a coffee slush-type beverage,“CS” for a chocolate shake, “VS” for a vanilla shake, “SS” for astrawberry shake, “SB” for a strawberry banana smoothie, “TM” for atropical mango smoothie, “FC” for a frozen coffee, “WB” for a winterbeverage, and “FF” for a frozen fun slush-type beverage, to name only afew options. It should be understood that the display 16 may beconfigured to include any number of recipes, and further may beconfigured to be manipulated by the operator to add additional recipesto the group of recipes.

One or more beverage parameters may be selected by the user. Forexample, the operator may select the type of beverage as one parameter,e.g., “SB” for a strawberry banana smoothie, and may additionally selectthe size of the beverage as a second parameter. For example, withreference to FIG. 10, the user may select “S” for a small beverage, “M”for a medium beverage, and “L” for a large beverage. Different oradditional size options may be provided. For example an extra-largebeverage option may be provided, or “double small” or “double medium”options may be provided for preparing sufficient quantities ofingredients for two small beverages or two medium beverages,respectively. In some embodiments, a customized size option may beprovided wherein the user can define a certain volume or weight of abeverage. Other parameters may be selected in some embodiments, such asbeverage temperature, or whether crushed or cubed ice should be used.

With reference to FIG. 11, after selecting the beverage size, display 16shows the ingredients associated with the selected beverage to the user.In the illustrated embodiment, the selected beverage—a strawberry bananasmoothie—includes strawberry banana smoothie base, yogurt, andindividually quick frozen (“IQF”) strawberries. If the ingredients areacceptable, the operator touches the “OK” button to continue theprocess.

Referring to FIG. 12, display 16 instructs the operator to placebeverage receptacle 14 on a support 22 of the weigh scale.Representations of different beverage receptacle types may be used tohelp the user understand which beverage receptacle to use. For example,in FIG. 12, a blender jar 30 is shown, while in FIG. 13, display 16shows a cup 32.

Once the beverage receptacle 14 is suitably positioned on support 22 ofweigh scale 12, display 16 of the weigh scale instructs or otherwiseindicates to the user to add a certain amount of a first ingredient. Forexample, in the illustrated embodiment in FIG. 14, the user isinstructed to add four ounces of smoothie base. Because the weigh scale12 is configured to weigh the beverage receptacle and its contents,display 16 of the weigh scale may be configured to inform the user ofthe status of the first ingredient addition by schematically displayinga level of the first ingredient. For example, the color of the interiorof the schematic blender receptacle may change in correlation with theamount of the first ingredient that has been added to the beveragereceptacle. FIG. 15 shows schematic blender receptacle 34 nearly full,which represents the near completion of depositing the first ingredientinto the beverage receptacle 14.

Other methods of displaying the progress of ingredient addition may beused. For example, a pie chart may fill in with a sweeping radius linein some embodiments. In other embodiments, a symbol may progress from astarting point toward a finish point based on the amount of firstingredient added. In still other embodiments, a display other than aschematic display may be used. For example, the percentage of theingredient that has been added may be displayed simply as a numberpercentage. Or, the color of the overall screen may change from light todark as an ingredient is added. A line graph may be used in someembodiments to show the level of ingredient increasing as time passes.With this arrangement, time may be shown on the x-axis with percentageof completion shown on the y-axis in some embodiments.

As shown in FIG. 16, once the desired amount of the first ingredient isadded to the beverage receptacle, the display may instruct the user tostop adding the first ingredient by displaying the word “Stop”, orotherwise indicating to stop adding the first ingredient.

Once the desired amount of the first ingredient has been deposited, ifthere is a second ingredient to be added, display 16 instructs theoperator to add a desired amount of the second ingredient. In theillustrated embodiment, display 16 indicates that eight ounces of yogurtis required by the recipe. As with the first ingredient, display 16 isconfigured to display the status of the second ingredient additionthrough a schematic representation of the amount of the secondingredient that has been added. FIG. 17 shows that no yogurt has yetbeen added, while FIG. 18 shows that almost the complete amount ofyogurt has been added. FIG. 19 includes a “Stop” instruction to indicateto the user that addition of the second ingredient should cease.

A similar process may be used for further ingredients, such as IGFstrawberries as shown in FIGS. 20 and 21. Referring to FIG. 22, display16 can be configured to alert the operator that the desired amount of acertain ingredient of the recipe has been exceeded. In some embodiments,display 16 can be configured to provide the operator with the option ofcontinuing with the preparation of the beverage with a “Continue” buttonor restarting the process with a “Restart” button as discuss furtherbelow.

Referring to FIG. 23, once all of the ingredients of a particular recipehave been added to the beverage receptacle, the display 16 may instructthe operator to place the beverage receptacle in the beveragepreparation machine 10. Once the beverage receptacle 14 is moved to thebeverage preparation machine, a sensor on the beverage preparationmachine may sense the presence of the beverage receptacle and begin abeverage preparation procedure, such as one or more of: adding shavedice; blending the ingredients; heating the ingredients; adding sweeteneror flavorings; or any other suitable operations.

As described herein, in some embodiments, weigh scale unit 12 sends oneor more instructions to the beverage preparation machine to indicatewhich beverage preparation procedure to initiate from among a pluralityof beverage preparation procedures. In some embodiments the weigh scaleunit sends a single instruction which indicates which procedure toinitiate. In other embodiments, the weigh scale unit may send a numberof specific instructions regarding each of several separate operations.For example, the weigh scale unit may instruct the beverage preparationmachine by sending separate instructions to specifically instruct thebeverage preparation machine to add one cup of shaved ice, blend forthirty seconds, and add four grams of sweetener. By sending one or moreinstructions to the beverage preparation machine, the weigh scale unitmay allow the user to prepare a beverage with a limited number of inputindications. For example, after selecting a recipe and/or other beverageparameters, the user may not need to press any buttons or otherwiseprovide input to the beverage preparation system. Such an arrangementmay improve efficiency and limit the amount of cleaning required.

As shown in FIGS. 6-23, the display 16 of the weigh scale 12 may beconfigured with an “X” button, which instructs the operator to cancelout of a particular recipe. In some embodiments, the “X” button may beconfigured to move the operator to the last shown screenshot on thedisplay 16. It should be understood that the preparation of thestrawberry banana smoothie is for illustration purposes only, and thatdisplay 16 can be configured to facilitate preparation of any suitablerecipe. The weigh scale unit may be configured to enable the operator toinput new recipes into the weigh scale unit.

While the assessment of the proper amount of all ingredients can bedetermined by weight, the system can also indicate to the operator theproper amount for certain solid ingredients to be added by count whenmore convenient. In such embodiments, the system can covert weights toquantities or simply register a count in response to operator input. Forexample, as shown in FIG. 24, the display 16 may display a screen toguide the operator in adding a specific amount of certain solidingredients, such as cookies, by count. In this embodiment, the displaymay display an image of two cookies. After the operator adds a firstcookie, the display indicates the first cookie has been added. After theoperator adds a second cookie, the display indicates that the secondcookie has been added, and the display can subsequently display the nextstep of beverage preparation.

As shown in FIG. 25, the beverage preparation machine may include arinse station 251. The rinse station includes a sprinkler 253 thatdisperses a cleaning fluid such as water or other cleaning solution inan upward direction. The rinse station may also include a recessed floor255 that has one or more drainage holes 257. In practice, an operatorplaces the beverage receptacle 14′ upside down in the rinse station sothat an upper portion of the beverage receptacle 14′ contacts therecessed floor. The sprinkler then disperses the cleaning fluid, whichwashes away residue that is left behind on the interior of the beveragereceptacle 14′ after the beverage preparation machine 10′ has produced abeverage and dispensed it into the beverage receptacle 14′. Both thecleaning fluid and the residue left behind on the beverage receptaclethen flow through the one or more drainage holes. The system alsoincludes a beverage preparation machine 10′, a weigh scale unit 12′ anda weigh scale 22′. The beverage preparation machine 10′ may also includea door 11.

In certain embodiments, the beverage preparation machine may beconfigured such that it can perform multiple functions simultaneously.For example, the beverage preparation machine may include an ice shaver,a blending/mixing mechanism, and a rinse station. The beveragepreparation machine may be configured to operate at least two of the iceshaver, the blending/mixing mechanism, and the rinse stationsimultaneously, in order to increase the system's beverage productioncapacity.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 26 also includes a rinse station 251′,which is already described above with reference to FIG. 25. The rinsestation 251′ may also include a sprinkler 253, floor 255, and drainageholes 257 as shown in FIG. 25. However, the embodiment shown in FIG. 26is configured such that the weigh scale 22″ is integrated with thebeverage preparation machine 10″. By contrast, in the embodiment shownin FIG. 1, the weigh scale unit and the beverage preparation machine areseparate structures. Also shown is receptacle 14″ and beveragepreparation machine 10″.

FIG. 27 illustrates an embodiment where the weigh scale unit holds acontainer 271 for a conventional blender assembly 273. In thisembodiment, the beverage preparation machine 10 illustrated in, forexample, FIG. 1, is omitted. As a result, if an operator already owns aconventional blender assembly, the operator may place the container 271on top of the weigh scale unit, follow the instructions on the display16, transfer the container 271 and connect it to the conventionalblender assembly 273, and blend the ingredients inside the container 271to produce a beverage. Also shown is weigh scale unit 12′″ and weighscale 22′″. The weigh scale can include a support base 274 forsupporting the blender container on the weigh scale.

FIG. 28 illustrates a schematic block diagram 2821 of a beveragepreparation machine and a schematic block diagram 2822 of a weigh scale.The beverage preparation machine includes a memory or storage 2801,weight sensors for measuring ingredient quantities 2802, and acontroller 2803.

The beverage preparation machine also includes a liquid dispenser 2804for dispensing liquid ingredients such as water, flavoring, or liquidmixtures. Also included is a powder dispenser 2805 for dispensingmaterial such as protein powder, sugar, or powdered flavoring.

The beverage preparation machine also includes a blending/mixingmechanism 2806, which could be constituted by a blade or set of bladesthat is/are inserted into the receptacle and rotated, vibrated, orotherwise set into motion in order to blend or mix the beverageingredients. Alternatively, the receptacle can include a blade or set ofblades in order to blend or mix the beverage ingredients. A motor maydrive the blending/mixing mechanism. Also included is a beveragereceptacle sensor 2807 that can sense the presence of the receptaclewhen it is placed onto/into the beverage preparation machine. Alsoincluded is at least one storage compartment for ingredients 2814.

The beverage preparation machine may also include an ice hopper 2808, ora freezer or refrigerator 2809 and/or ice shaper/dispenser 2810.

The beverage preparation machine also includes a communication link 2811for communicating with the weigh scale. The communication link may beimplemented as a wired communication link, or a wireless communicationlink.

The beverage preparation machine also includes a display 2812, and mayinclude a speaker 2813.

The weigh scale may include a memory or storage 2815, a controller 2816,a display 2817, and a speaker 2818. The weigh scale includes acommunication link 2819, and a weight sensor 2820. The communicationlink may be implemented as a wired communication link, or a wirelesscommunication link.

The arrangement of components illustrated in FIG. 28 is merelyexemplary. The system may be implemented without some of the componentsshown in FIG. 28.

According to yet another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 29, the beveragepreparation system may assist a user if the weigh scale detects that theuser has poured an excessive amount of ingredient into the receptacle(an “overpour”). The overpour may be accidental, or it may beintentional. For example, a user may accidentally pour too much of oneingredient into the beverage receptacle. Alternatively, the user maydesire to may have a greater amount of one ingredient as compared towhat a recipe calls for, in which case the overpour is intentional.

In the case of an overpour, the system can query whether the user wantsto 1) continue without additional modifications to the recipe, 2)continue with modifications to the recipes so that the final ingredientsare in the same proportions as the original recipe, or 3) restart thebeverage preparation. In the case where the user chooses to continuewith modifications to the recipe so that the final ingredients are inthe same proportions as the original recipe, the system can calculatethe amounts of pre-poured ingredients as well as the amounts of unpouredingredients that need to be added and instruct the user accordingly. Onthe other hand, permitting the user to continue without modifications tothe recipe allows the user to increase one or more ingredients, therebycustomizing the beverage to the consumer's preference. The system canalso permit the user to under-pour, by, for example, including anoverride command to continue notwithstanding that the weighed ingredientis less than what is called for by the recipe.

An algorithm may be used to assist the user, as follows and as shown inFIG. 29. If an overpour is detected (2901), a display on the beveragepreparation system, located on either the weigh scale or on the beveragepreparation machine, may display a message after an overpour for aspecific ingredient is detected, advising the user of the overpour andquerying whether the user would like to 1) continue without modificationof other ingredients, 2) continue with modification to retain the sameproportion of ingredients in accordance with the original recipe, or 3)restart the drink preparation, in which case the user would discard thecontents of the container (2902).

If the user selects option 1), the beverage preparation system canproceed with the remaining beverage preparation steps normally. The usermay select this option if he/she wishes to simply increase an amount ofone ingredient as compared to the stored beverage recipe (2903).

If the user selects option 2), the beverage preparation system canrecalculate the appropriate amounts of pre-poured ingredients andunpoured ingredients (2904). The system can also guide the user throughthe steps of adding pre-poured ingredients and unpoured ingredients(2905).

If the user selects option 3), the beverage preparation system caninstruct the user to pour out the specific ingredient that wasoverpoured, and restart the beverage preparation sequence (2906).

The embodiments disclosed herein may also connect to an electronicdevice such as a smartphone, a tablet, a smart watch, a wearableelectronic device, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, or the like,and allow customers to download preselected recipes or new customrecipes that can be used to prepare drinks from a predetermined set ofavailable ingredients in the beverage preparation system. A user couldbrowse recipes for beverages on the electronic device and then controlthe weigh scale unit or beverage preparation unit to download certainselected recipes in order to expand the range of beverages that thesystem can produce.

As shown in FIG. 30A, a user could use the electronic device to create anew recipe by interacting with the electronic device to select one ormore ingredients and specifying the quantities or ratios for eachingredient (3001). The ingredients could be selected from apredetermined database or manually entered by the user. For example, auser could create a recipe including protein powder, yogurt, and frozenstrawberries. In this example, the user could then specify an amount ofprotein powder, such as 30 grams, an amount of yogurt, such as 10ounces, and a quantity of strawberries, such as 10 strawberries. Afterthe user creates the recipe on the electronic device, the user can entera command on the electronic device that causes the user-created recipeto be sent to the beverage preparation system to be stored in a memoryor storage, and/or that causes the beverage preparation system todisplay the user-created recipe (3002). The beverage preparation systemcan then guide the user in filling a receptacle placed on the weighscale, and prepare the beverage with the beverage preparation machine(3003).

According to another embodiment shown in FIG. 30B, a user could use theelectronic device to modify an existing recipe. For example, a usercould browse existing recipes on the electronic device and change aquantity of at least one ingredient, or the ratios of the ingredients(3004). According to one example, a user could modify an amount of sugarin a beverage in order to produce a low-sugar beverage. Alternatively,for a beverage recipe composed of strawberry banana smoothie mix,yogurt, and individual frozen strawberries, a user could increase theamount of yogurt, or the number of strawberries to suit the user'spreferences. For a beverage recipe composed of a 50-50 mixture of icedtea and lemonade, the user could modify the ratios to be 70% iced teaand 30% lemonade. After the user modifies the recipe on the electronicdevice, the user can enter a command on the electronic device thatcauses the user-modified recipe to be sent to the beverage preparationsystem to be stored in a memory or storage, and/or the cause thebeverage preparation system to display the user-modified recipe (3005).The beverage preparation system could then guide the user in filling areceptacle placed on the weigh scale, and prepare the beverage with thebeverage preparation machine (3006).

Alternatively, the user could create or modify beverages as describedabove by interacting with the beverage preparation system directlyrather than through the electronic device. The user could interact withthe beverage preparation system in this manner by selecting menu itemsdisplayed on a display located on either the weight scale or thebeverage preparation machine.

According to another embodiment, the beverage preparation system, via acontroller, can calculate pricing information based on informationstored in a pricing database. The pricing database could be storedlocally in the beverage preparation system. Alternatively, the pricingdatabase could be stored in a remote location, such as on a remoteserver, and the beverage preparation system could access or downloadpricing information from the remote location/server. The pricinginformation could be associated with specific recipes, specificingredients, or both.

For example, if the beverage preparation system is utilized in a retailenvironment, a user would first select a predetermined recipe and sizeof drink. Subsequently, the beverage preparation system could thenaccess the pricing database, which would contain a price for theselected beverage. The beverage preparation system could then displaythe price for the selected recipe and request payment from the user.

The beverage preparation system could also recalculate pricinginformation that accounts for modifications to a recipe made by a user.For example, if a user selects a predetermined recipe that containsprotein powder, the user may wish to add extra protein powder. The usercould modify the recipe to include, for example, 20 additional grams ofprotein. The beverage preparation system would then determine theper-gram price of protein, by accessing the pricing database, andincrease the price of the prepared beverage accordingly.

The beverage preparation system could also include hardware thatfacilitates commercial transactions, such as a credit card reader or ascanner that can scan a loyalty card with a barcode or other identifyinginformation that indicates a specific person associated with the loyaltycard. The pricing database may include an amount of money stored on theloyalty card.

FIGS. 31A-31F illustrate various views of a system that includes abeverage preparation machine 10″ and a weigh scale 22″ integrated withthe beverage preparation machine 10″. Also shown in these figures is areceptacle/container 14″, a rinse station 251′ as described previously,and a display 311.

Features disclosed as being associated with certain embodiments couldalso be added to other embodiments disclosed herein. In other words, itis possible to combine different aspects of different beveragepreparation embodiments.

The controllers of the above-described embodiments can be implemented inany of numerous ways. For example, the embodiments may be implementedusing hardware, software or a combination thereof. When implemented insoftware, the software code can be executed on any suitable processor orcollection of processors, whether provided in a single computer ordistributed among multiple computers. It should be appreciated that anycomponent or collection of components that perform the functionsdescribed above can be generically considered as one or more controllersthat control the above-discussed functions. The one or more controllerscan be implemented in numerous ways, such as with dedicated hardware, orwith non-dedicated hardware (e.g., one or more processors) that isprogrammed using microcode or software to perform the functions recitedabove.

In this respect, it should be appreciated that one implementationcomprises at least one computer-readable storage medium (i.e., at leastone tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium, e.g., a computermemory (e.g., hard drive, flash memory, processor working memory, etc.),a floppy disk, an optical disc, a magnetic tape, or other tangible,non-transitory computer readable medium) encoded with a computer program(i.e., a plurality of instructions), which, when executed on one or moreprocessors, performs above-discussed functions. The computer readablestorage medium can be transportable such that the program stored thereoncan be loaded onto any computer resource to implement functionalitydiscussed herein. In addition, it should be appreciated that thereference to a computer program which, when executed, performs theabove-discussed functions, is not limited to an application programrunning on a host computer. Rather, the term “computer program” is usedherein in a generic sense to reference any type of computer code (e.g.,software or microcode) that can be employed to program one or moreprocessors to implement above-discussed techniques.

The phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose ofdescription and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of“including,” “comprising,” “having,” “containing,” “involving,” andvariations thereof, is meant to encompass the items listed thereafterand additional items. Use of ordinal terms such as “first,” “second,”“third,” etc., in the claims to modify a claim element does not byitself connote any priority, precedence, or order of one claim elementover another or the temporal order in which acts of a method areperformed. Ordinal terms are used merely as labels to distinguish oneclaim element having a certain name from another element having a samename (but for use of the ordinal term), to distinguish the claimelements.

Several embodiments having been described in detail, variousmodifications and improvements will readily occur to those skilled inthe art. Such modifications and improvements are intended to be withinthe spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the foregoingdescription is by way of example only, and is not intended as limiting.The invention is limited only as defined by the following claims and theequivalents thereto.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of preparing a beverage using a beveragepreparation system comprising a beverage receptacle, a weigh scale unit,and a beverage preparation machine in communication with the weigh scaleunit, the method comprising: initiating communication between thebeverage preparation machine and the weigh scale unit; placing thebeverage receptacle on a weigh scale of the weigh scale unit; inputtingone or more beverage parameters to a controller of the weigh scale unit;adding a first ingredient to the beverage receptacle until a display ofthe weigh scale unit indicates that a sufficient amount of the firstingredient has been added; adding a second ingredient to the beveragereceptacle until the display of the weigh scale unit indicates that asufficient amount of the second ingredient has been added; when anamount of the first ingredient or an amount of the second ingredientdiffers from a desired amount of each ingredient in a recipe, displayinga first user prompt that, when selected, causes the beverage preparationsystem to continue without modifications to the recipe, or displaying asecond user prompt that, when selected, causes the beverage preparationsystem to recalculate necessary amounts of other ingredients in order tomaintain proportions of ingredients in accordance with the recipe;removing the beverage receptacle from the weigh scale and placing thebeverage receptacle at a beverage receptacle-sensing position in thebeverage preparation machine; and initiating a first beveragepreparation procedure with the beverage preparation machine from among aplurality of beverage preparation procedures.
 2. A method as in claim 1,wherein inputting one or more beverage parameters comprises indicating abeverage size and a beverage type.
 3. The method according to claim 1,wherein the sufficient amount of the first ingredient and the sufficientamount of the second ingredient are determined in accordance with therecipe for the beverage that is stored in the beverage preparationsystem.
 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sufficientamount of the first ingredient and the sufficient amount of the secondingredient are determined in accordance with a recipe for the beveragethat is transmitted to the beverage preparation system from a remotelocation.
 5. A method of facilitating preparation of a beverage, themethod comprising: receiving a beverage receptacle on a weigh scale;receiving user input indicating a type of beverage to be prepared;indicating to a user a first ingredient type to be added to the beveragereceptacle; indicating to the user that a sufficient amount of the firstingredient has been added to the beverage receptacle; indicating to auser a second ingredient type to be added to the beverage receptacle;indicating to the user that a sufficient amount of the second ingredienthas been added to the beverage receptacle; and communicating whichbeverage preparation procedure to initiate from among a plurality ofpossible beverage preparation procedures by indicating to the user whichuser input interface to activate on a beverage preparation machine.
 6. Amethod as in claim 5, wherein communicating which beverage preparationprocedure to initiate comprises sending a signal to a beveragepreparation machine.
 7. The method according to claim 1, whereininitiating the first beverage preparation procedure occurs withoutfurther input from the user.
 8. The method according to claim 1, furthercomprising automatically adjusting the amount of the first ingredient tobe added and the amount of the second ingredient to be added when thebeverage preparation system determines that the supply of the firstingredient or the second ingredient is running low.
 9. The method ofclaim 1, further comprising: restarting an ingredient addition step foreach ingredient of the recipe after selecting the second user prompt.10. The method of claim 1, further comprising: notifying an operatorthat only a limited size of the beverage can be prepared if a supply ofthe first ingredient or the second ingredient is running low.